Published in The E-Kantipur on Sep. 16 ::
International human rights organization, Amnesty International (AI) has said that the Nepali government’s failure to appoint new commissioners to National Human Rights Commission ( NHRC ) for a year shows a deeply disappointing lack of commitment to human rights and transitional justice.
“The fact that the government has simply neglected filling the commissioner slots shows a deplorable lack of respect for its own national institution and thereby a disregard for human rights”, said Richard Bennett, AI’s Asia Director in a press statement released on Tuesday.
The AI has also said that the leadership vacuum in the NHRC for over a year now could lead to the Commission’s downgrading from ‘A’ to ‘B’ status within the UN system.
The downgrade would diminish the NHRC ‘ reputation and its legitimacy to engage directly on the international level within the UN Human Rights Council, adds the statement.
The AI has urged the authorities to take this issue seriously and immediately appoint new commissioners to theNHRC .
The terms of all previous NHRC commissioners expired on 16 September 2013.
Source: http://goo.gl/hvvYAb